Thou Shalt Not Covet
by Midas Izumi
Summary: On the day of her wedding with Naruto, Hinata disappeared. Just when everyone believed she had run away, Shikamaru sets his sights on someone they'd never suspect. In this battle of wits, friendships are tested. Lives are laid on the line. Only one thing is certain when it ends-nothing will ever be the same. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto (except OC).
1. Chapter One: The Runaway Bride

**...**

 **A/N:** In every chapter I write I give myself a challenge. Now is a 200 minute challenge! I conceived, wrote and edited this first chapter in a span of 200 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes)! I'm telling you, it's a feverish and nerve-wracking ordeal but it's ultimately rewarding. You should try it and PM me the link of your work!

 **Japanese words to be encountered and their approximate translations:**  
 _Dobe_ \- deadlast; idiot  
 _Usuratonkachi_ \- idiot; useless  
 _Gomen_ \- Sorry  
 _Demo_ \- But then  
 _Masaka_ \- It can't be  
 _Teme_ \- damn  
 _Tadaima_ \- I'm home

This particular fic will be short: between 7 chapters minimum and 11 chapters maximum. Also my first time writing in the mystery/suspense genre. Tell me what you think!

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Runaway Bride**

Quiet.

Naruto could be described in several words: loud-mouthed, rambunctious, _dobe, usuratonkatchi_ -never just quiet. But that was unmistakably him as he arrived in Hinata's room, unfolded and read the letter on his hands.

 _Naruto-_ kun _,_

 _Gomen. I didn't have the courage to tell you this but I've been in love with Neji_ nii _-san for the longest time. I know that he's my cousin and technically my brother but none of that matters now. We're in love with each other. He asked me to elope last night because he couldn't bear the thought of giving me away to you, even if you are the village hero._

 _I loved you Naruto-_ kun _. I've been your fangirl for the longest time and when you proposed to me I was literally over the moon from joy because the most impossible of my dreams seem to have come true. Demo, I realized that dreams and reality were never going to align after all. I idealized you too much and I fell for the image of you in my head. I idolized you and fawned over you and worshipped you-not even trying to know who you really were apart from what you showed us or what we chose to see. It's different with Neji. He was strict and humble but he truly cared for me. He trained me and made me strong while you left the village for Sasuke-_ kun _._  
 _'cause let's face it he is more important. He saved me from the Juubi. Despite being ANBU, he never bragged of his accomplishments to my face. Moreover, he never let me dwell on his sacrifices. But I've seen it all and felt it and I fell in love. He was willing to offer his life for me. He didn't need protecting, unlike you. Then and there I knew that he, too, had loved me very much. So when he offered his hand to run away with me, I took it and never looked back._

 _My only regret was that I let things drag on for too long because I was afraid to be left unloved and alone. I loved you, Naruto but I've never felt_ myself _complete_ with _you. Negi is the one who completes me, believe it!_

 _By the time you've read this we're already out of the village. Please don't come looking for us. If you care about me and the love that we shared, please don't waste your time looking for us. Let us not make each other's lives difficult._

 _Heartfelt thanks and apologies,_

 _Hinata-chan_

The blond lingered at each letter of her handwriting. He savored each word and read as if it were really her speaking to him face-to-face, cupping his cheek and comforting him while saying the cruelest, heartrending words he heard in his 19 years of existence. He had a lot of things to say, a lot more to question but alas, she had long been gone. More accurately, she had chosen to permanently walk out of his life with Neji.

It was not a stretch of imagination. Neji obviously loved her: training her, protecting her, following her around like a dog calling her Hinata-sama. During the war, he put his life on the line without a tinge of hesitation just to shield her from the man-sized spikes hurtling towards her as she stood between them and Naruto himself. Thankfully, Sasuke came on time to protect the all of them with his Susanoo. "Only a fool would pass up that devotion," he thought in resignation. "Only a fool...like me."

Exiting from the haze of memories he released a weak chuckle. His face absently stared at the floor while his hands fell to his sides and the letter dropped. Shikamaru scrutinized his expression and had deduced that whatever was in that letter was more devastating than the Fourth Shinobi War. He had never seen his close friend so...emptied. Even in the War, despite the surrounding deaths, threats and misery he was hopeful because he had his friends and his lover at his side.

The Nara walked towards him and bent over to pick up the fallen piece of paper. He began skimming it. "Oy Shikamaru, what's it say?" Kiba asked impatiently. Akamaru barked right after. "Where the heck is Hinata?! It's her wedding day!" The gust of wind outside shook the cherry blossom branches. Hinata and Naruto had selected their wedding date in tandem with the peak of the short yet exquisite blooming of sakura.

True enough, just a few minutes ago, Naruto had been having trouble fastening his own black kimono with the Uzumaki crests. He even summoned his bestfriend-slash-best-man Sasuke, who was already dashing in a black suit with a silver vest and a blood-red tie, just to help him fasten his own wedding pants. The Uchiha obliged to do so, but not without a hundred twitches of annoyance and groans of exasperation. That was when one of the Hyuuga handmaidens burst in his room in order to tell the most depressing news...

"It seems that Hinata has eloped with Neji this morning." Shikamaru had said with seeming nonchalance. However, he scanned the room with suspicious eyes. Kiba was shocked "What?! Hinata would never do that! She loves Naruto!" He lunged for the letter in Shikamaru's hands and the door burst open again, with another unlikely wedding guest. "Tenten," Shikamaru called. Her hair was a myriad of beautiful braids and her elegant creamy-white satin gown hugged her curves and reached to her ankles. Her nails and lips were scarlet and over her neck hung a special bird necklace, a metal from a meteor crafted to mimic Neji's Caged Bird Seal. Her eyes were blurry with tears "I heard the maids! Is it true?!" She staggered towards the letter. Kiba reluctantly handed it to her. "Tenten-san!" Lee had caught up. Too late,however, as her eyes had already graced the words inscribed. Shikamaru placed a hand on her shoulder out of sympathy but she removed it and sank to her knees. Sobs wracked her body until they were so rapid in succession that she was hyperventilating. Lee rushed to tend to her side. "My eternal rival...how could he do this? He did not only make Naruto-kun sad. He made Tenten-san cry and lose consciousness!" From the entrance, Sakura sprinted towards her and Lee. Kakashi, Shino, Gaara and his siblings were behind her. The Kazekage raised his arm to stop them from doing so. They glanced at him in protest, but he merely shook his head. _Let them be_.

The pink-haired medic, now the Kazekage's wife, turned to Naruto for answers but he had been temporarily catatonic. Sasuke avoided her gaze by closing his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall nearest him. She finally glared at Shikamaru, who was also shaking his head. "Hinata...left...with Neji." He almost whispered. "What?! It doesn't make sense!" Sakura exclaimed. "I know!" Kiba vehemently agreed. He went and shook the supposed-groom by the shoulders "Oy Naruto! Snap out of it! Are you really blind?! Hinata loves you! Why would she run away?" He turned to Shino "Shino! We're Team 8. You, I and Kurena-sensei all know how much Hinata couldn't stop blushing and talking about your wedding! She's been talking our ear off ever since you decided to date her...right?" He shook the boy harder "She's kidnapped and this is a set up!"

"If that is true," Sasuke stopped leaning against the wall as he intejected "Then why is her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, kidnapped as well?"

Kiba's mouth hung open. He fumbled for answers but Shino backed him right away "Someone had to be framed." Kiba smirked at him from the doorway as a sign of thanks. Lee brushed the hairs away from his unconscious teammate's forehead "It's true. Neji-kun will not run away with Hinata-san."

"And how sure are you about that?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he asked. Lee flashed a look at Sakura, who's eyes widened as she gasped " _Masaka_!" Her hand immediately glowed with green chakra and hovered above Tenten's abdomen. She gasped again and turned to Shikamaru "She's pregnant."

Silence filled the room. Even Sasuke was in a state of disbelief. Kakashi clicked his tongue "Tsk, tsk. The Hyuuga clan will hunt me down with pitchforks now." As Rokudaime, he would be the one to settle a dispute such as these: an abandoned wedding and an abandoned important child with a commoner.

The Kazekage shared his own thoughts "Hyuuga Neji is a member of the elite shinobi force of Konoha - the ANBU. And Hinata is also a jounin. We are certain that whomever tried to kidnap them are no ordinary group of shinobi. They are strong as they are clever. Temari, Kankuro, dispatch our guard to assist Rokudaime Kakashi to interrogate and account for all the jounin present in the village from the night before until today." The two obliged and nodded to Kakashi. The three exited. "I will personally convene with the other Kage and request their help as well," Gaara continued as he glanced at his wife "Sakura." Sakura nodded and replied "Lee and I will escort Tenten to the hospital. We'll see each other soon. Take care of yourself." He acknowledged it and left.

Sai and Ino were the last and late to arrive. Ino was panting "Sakura! I came as soon as I heard. It can't be! Hi-hinata!" Shikamaru was still contemplative as he inquired "Any reports, Sai?" Sai immediately responded "I've sent a message [via flying ink eagle] to the nearest village gate. The village guards scoped the area and found two incapacitated by the Gentle Fist technique." Shikamaru frowned, placed a hand on his hips and uttered "Cche. Sai, report this to the Hokage right away."

Before Shikamaru could clear them all out, Naruto got out of his stupor, raised his head and said "Everyone...thanks. Thanks for being here. I'm sorry I made you come here for nothing, dattebayo."

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, looking the saddest for her teammate. "Naruto-kun," Lee followed. Kiba clenched his fists and punched the blond. "Baka! How could you..." The other just threw him a defeated glance which caused his blood to boil in anger "Impostor! You are not the Naruto we know. What did you do to the Naruto we know?!"Shino stepped in with his bugs trying to restrain him and his incessantly barking dog."The Naruto I know would not just accept this! He's fucking stupid, but not this stupid! HOW COULD YOU JUST ACCEPT THIS?! Do you not know your wife at all? Do you not care about her feelings?"

"I care about her feelings, dammit!" Naruto barked "She made her feelings pretty clear in that damned letter! I love her enough to know that it's her damned handwriting! I love her enough to respect her damned decision EVEN IF IT'S TEARING ME TO PIECES!"

Shikamaru paralyzed Kiba and Akamaru's writhing with his shadows while the bugs that had stopped them receded towards Shino. He dragged them with his shadow as he, hands on his suit pockets, headed to the door "You forget how strong Naruto is. I'm taking you out before you hurt yourself and destroy Hyuuga property."

Sakura wiped the tears forming on her face, willing herself to be strong. She turned to the raven-haired Uchiha "Sasuke-kun. Take care of Naruto for me." In a flash, she and Rock Lee had disappeared from the room as well.

Silence dragged on for a few more minutes. Sasuke just watched Naruto, who had been looking at the open door for far too long. He wasn't really the type to comfort people and he never learned how. "You should go," The jinchuuriki had finally spoken. "Don't waste this day. Only a few weeks more and you're free."

Despite being a crucial help to Naruto in defeating Obito, the Juubi jinchuuriki in the war, Sasuke was still guilty of being an international criminal Akatsuki member, trespassing and attempted murder of the five Kage, infiltration of Konoha and successful murder of Danzou. Naruto's influence and pleas were heard. Instead of his execution, or lifetime imprisonment in the worst sector of Blood Prison, he is tasked to 10,000 hours worth of community service instead. Despite being genin, his strength was still unmatched by any other than Naruto and Kakashi and the council saw his benefit. He tasked Shikamaru to device a way to ensure that the Uchiha would neither run away nor use his powers astray, thus resulting to complex chakra-regulating bracelets, an unremovable tracker implanted on his heart and a forehead seal for his Sharingan.

" _Dobe_ ," Sasuke sighed "You shouldn't worry about that. You were the one left in the altar here." Feeling his discomfort, Sasuke shifted topics "That Nara will have my ass handed to me if I leave you moping here. He'll call me a deserter or...whatnot." Naruto allowed himself the smallest of smiles. Still, his eyes are forlorn with disappointment. He got up and shed his black kimono "I'll just get changed and be at Ichiraku's all day. Do your community work. I'll be fine, I promise." Sasuke sighed again and uncrossed his arms "Fine. If I don't see you at the swing after my shift I'm going to assume you either left the village without permission or killed yourself." He walked over to his sword sheath, picked it up and tied it onto himself "Just make sure of this. Like Hinata, if you're gonna do something stupid, like leave or kill yourself, at least leave a note so the whole village won't be thrown to chaos." Naruto smirked. Sasuke seemed harsh and indifferent but he had known him longly and deeply enough to know that he cares about him more than he lets anyone in. Before he stepped out of the door he said "One last thing. If I find your corpse in the river or up the trees while I'm assigned to clean them...I'm going to dismember you." And with that, Naruto had burst in a fit of laughter.

 **...**

"Nice one, Kiba." Shikamaru said when he hurled the Inuzuka and dog to the ground and detached his shdaow. " _Teme_ , that hurts! What's the hell do you mean?" Shikamaru glanced at Shino who confirmed in subtlety that no one was watching them before he replied "I was counting on you to make a scene so I can drag you out here." Kiba was puzzled "Huh? Why?"

"Because our teammate, Hinata, had been kidnapped." Shino answered. Now the canine handler's mouth was ajar "Wh-what? I knew it! I knew it Hinata would never do this Naruto out of her own will!"

"From the moment I've seen the note, I knew something was wrong." The memory flashed back to Shikamaru's faint startle upon reading the letter "There were a lot of inconsistencies, most obviously with the use of names. For one, Neji nii-san became just Neji in the next paragraph then became Negi in the last."

"But if Hinata was really running away and in a hurry, some inconsistencies are bound to show up." Shino said. Shikamaru shook his head "I thought of that too but the key to my suspicion is the second paragraph. If you read it again, it sounded like she resented him or even regretted being with him. She resented him for chasing after Sasuke when she was the one adamant that we follow Naruto's nindo of never leaving our comrades in the darkness. You've got to admit, Shino, it's definitely unlike her."

Shino adjusted his glasses "Agreed. The logic does not correspond."

Kiba could almost jump with joy "I really knew it! It's not Hinata to be like this. Your explanation only made it have more sense now! 'Ne, Akamaru?" The mutt barked and wagged it's tail.

"There's only one problem," Shikamaru said "It was definitely Hinata's handwriting. I've seen her written reports to the Rokudaime and by cross-referencing it with the letter there's no doubt that the penmanship is definitely hers."

His celebration was aburptly cut "Impossible! Maybe she was forced to write it-"

Shikamaru nodded "Yes. There was some force involved. But again, after seeing the letter, there was no sign of agitation or anxiety. The writing is too clear and stable. Hinata was calm when she wrote it."

Kiba's head was starting to spin in confusion "H-how could that happen?! These things just don't add up!"

"She could be under the influence of a genjutsu." Shino told them.

"And a strong one at that," Shikamaru added. "Gaara was right. We're dealing with no ordinary shinobi. It's one thing to paralye your opponent and make him or her believe that what transpires in the illusion is real; it's another to outright influence the thoughts and will the opponent's body to move while at the same time seamlessly maintain the illusion in the opponent's head. To do those two things at once and execute them perfectly, this guy is not a mere genjutsu user. He is definitely a master of jounin-level genjutsu."

 **...**

Sasuke arrived at the old swing by the Academy. He knew this was a memorable place to Naruto. This was the place of loneliness and sadness. He figured out that that was exactly how his closest friend would have been feeling. Witnessing his friend pummeling the tree trunk with his left hand, he was not disappointed "You know, Sakura will be mad when she sees what you're doing with your one good arm."

"Ah" Naruto acknowledged his presence but kept on punching the tree "That's if Tsunade baa-chan don't get to me first."

"You'd be a shitty weak Hokage if you're dumb enough to lose them both." He set down the plastic bag. It was takeout from Ichiraku's. Normally the guy there won't agree to such thing but since he mentioned Naruto, the guy scrambled for a makeshift container.

Naruto smelled the ramen and his stomach growled. He stopped assaulting the trunk and sighed. He sat beside the Uchiha, who handed him chopsticks."You're just jealous coz by doing this it means that Hinata is as important in my life as you."

"As if, _usuratonkachi_!" Sasuke retorted. Naruto snickered and opened the container. He slurped on one of the noodles and swallowed them before he looked to him again and spoke."Sasuke...thank you for being a good friend to me...Honestly, I don't care what they say about you leaving the village to kill your brother and avenge your clan. Even if you killed Danzou too just to heart the truth from him. I know how painful it is to be alone, to lose your precious family-"

"Naruto," Sasuke cut him off after he sipped his own broth. "Don't go there anymore."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his bandaged hand "All I want to say is...thank you for not cutting that precious bond with me. Thank you for staying in Konoha. I know you. A simple chakra restraint and tracker won't stop a man as powerful and smart as you. If you didn't choose to stay, you would have been gone now."

Still not looking at him, he quipped "But apparently it did. I'm still here after all."

"It's because you want to, right?" The Uzumaki probed. Sasuke merely sighed, finally meeting his gaze and explaining "Even if I did, it'll be more trouble than it's worth. I killed Itachi. I've fulfilled my lifelong ambition..." He gazed at the luminous night sky. "I never dreamt of surviving this long. It was either he kills me or we manage to have killed each other. Either way, I should have died. Now I'm alive, I don't know what to do anymore. I only lived for him and my hatred of him."

Naruto flashed a mischievous grin "You have another goal," Sasuke swore his bestrfriend giggled "To restore your clan, 'ttebayo!"

"Yeah that..." The Uchiha thought of it as he stabbed the toppings "No one's going to fall for a prisoner like me."

"But you're not in-" In prison, Naruto was about to say but Sasuke didn't want him to point out the obvious. "A prison is not a place, but a state, where one's freedom is stripped, usuratonkachi. Anything that hinders you from being free-a bracelet, a seal or even an idea-it is also a prison." They ate in silence for a while before Sasuke spoke again "I suggest you let go of Hinata as soon as possible. What you had with her was good but now it's gone. She left you and that is that."

Naruto's cheery disposition vanished into thin air and he was forlorn again "You make it sound so easy. You never felt it Sasuke, _love._ The desire to be with someone forever. I wanted to be with her, to have a family with her, to give them something I never got. With her, I forgot what it was like to be alone." He dropped the piece of pork back into the bowl as he reminisced "I wanted to train our kids-"

"You would have been Hokage by then, _dobe_. You would have been busy." Sasuke told him off. He chuckled, though without the usual mirth "Ahaha you're right! Sorry about that." He turned to him again "What about you, Sasuke?"

"Like I said, I'm a prisoner."

"But all the girl were head over heels for you in the Academy." Naruto said while gazing with melancholy at the school in front of them.

"No sane and self-respecting woman will settle for a criminal." The Uchiha was done eating. He started cleaning up.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to find happiness someday. Possibly with a her-or a him?" At those mere words the trash was hurled at him. " _Usuratonkachi!_ I'm straight!" The Uchiha barked, flushing. He raised his hands, a gesture of surrender and pacification"Maa, maa, Sasuke. Just kidding with you. Pipe down!"

He was calm again. His stomach was full but his heart was without a doubt empty. "It's getting late. I probably should go home now."

"Or cry to that Iruka maybe." Sasuke fibbed, recollecting the trash he threw.

"Maybe," Naruto bowed his head down as if considering it. He lifted it back up and flashed a smile at him "See you tomorrow!" He turned around and waved as he walked, one hand in his pockets. Sasuke smirked in acknowledgment "Yeah."

 **...**

 ** _[Shikamaru, Kiba & Shino conversation continuation]_**

"What made you think that only one guy casted the genjutsu and not a group of jounin as the Kazekage said?" Shino asked.

The Inuzuka scratched his head "Yeah Shikamaru it doesn't make sense. I mean, how gutsy does that guy have to be to cast a genjutsu on Hinata? Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Kiba has a point, Shikamaru. From the sound of it, that genjutsu will require a huge amount of chakra. Hinata is a sensor. She can detect the faintest of chakra within a hundred-meter radius. She is also a Byakugan user. She is also trained to counter jounin-level genjutsu. The chances of catching her offguard are rather, supposedly, slim." Shino explained.

"I know. The kidnapping is supposed to be done in their compound in the midst of wedding no fewer than fifty Hyuuga within proximity. Someone should have been able to detect the foreign presence. It's beyond normal reason."

"Shikamaru...why did you say jounin-level genjutsu and not a jounin capable of genjutsu?" Shikamaru smirked at the sharpness of Shino's intellect. "Heh, you noticed that, huh?" He closed his eyes, opened them and spoke "This is probably one of the craziest things I've said. The most insane thing you'll hear from me." Kiba gulped and beckoned himself closer. "And once you hear this, there's no backing out. One false move on your part will be the difference of life and death." Kiba gulped even harder. Even Akamaru sensed his nervousness and whimpered. "You CANNOT ever...ever...let the suspect think you're onto him. You DO NOT mess with this guy and expect to still be alive right after."

"Stop scaring us! Just be straight and tell us who!" Kiba exclaimed and Shikamaru lunged at him to cover his mouth with his hand. The Inuzuka fell on his back with Shikamaru straddling him. Eyes wide, he glanced at Shino, who signalled him again that nobody had heard them. He slowly extricated himself from Kiba and helped him up before explaining himself "Because the suspect I have in mind is not a jounin...though he might as well be."

 **...**

 _"...He might as well be."_

Sasuke had long finished his community service duties and signed out the logbook. The masked ANBU guards fibbed at him, at the humiliation of him doing the most mundane of tasks around the village despite his overwhelming skill and aptitude for other things. As usual, he paid them no mind and carried on. After his conversation with Naruto he noticed a still-open convenience store and bought more food on the way home.

Uchiha District...or what was left of it not ravaged by Pain. He made his way to the dilapidated Naka Shrine, located the seventh tatami mat and crouched down beside it. He set his plastic bag in order to lift it up, revealing a secret passage known only to him and the Uchihas.

 _"You mean...Sasuke?!" Kiba's knees had almost knocked in fear. He felt nauseated. He could barely connect the ideas._

Sasuke descended the flight of stairs and the torches lit up in response to his presence.

 _Kiba fired more questions in succession, struggling to keep his stammer in check "B-but how?! W-why? What happened to Hi-Hinata and Neji? Where are they?!"_

The Uchiha stopped before a stone tablet, in front of a wall with the painted Uchiha crest on it. The wall was apparently an illusion and it dissolved to reveal a large converted warehouse built around a cave-like structure. It was a weapons bunker and headquarters for the failed Uchiha coup. Juugo nudges Karin, who dozed off in her chair. "Wha-? Oh! Sasuke!" she coughed and changed her cooing tone "As usual, there was no foreign chakra wandering within a 2-kilometre radius." Sasuke didn't even acknowledge them with a nod as he walked on to the holding cell.

 _"That's why we have to investigate." Shikamaru answered as he huddled the two onto him "So, who's with me?"_

The torch flickered in light and startled the blindfolded hostage in darkness. "Who's there?" She was held up with chakra-suppressing manacles, next to her bed. She could smell the waft of a familiar ramen. She held back her tears "N-Naruto-kun?!" Sasuke set the plastic bag on the table and sat himself on the seat where he could observe Hinata, as if watching a dog in a kennel. "Tadaima, Hinata."

.

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 **A/N:** Any theories about why Sasuke kidnapped Hinata or how? What happened to Neji-kun then? Write it in the review! We'll see how you (and they) fare next update!

 **Add'l Info:** This fic is obviously a Naruto AU with some key events changing in order to allow the circumstances to happen. First key event is that Kabuto is dead trying to assimilate superpowers after Orochimaru died. Without him there would be no Edo-tensei. Thus no Madara. No Kaguya. No ressurected Itachi to clear up the Uchiha clan massacre story for Sasuke. No Six-Paths Power :((


	2. Chapter Two: Sensory Deprivation

**...**

 **[Longer than usual A/N. Skip if you want]:** Izumi-san here back to update another chapter!

Something strange had happened over the weekend. I was called out by an anonymous reviewer for being ' _a piece of shit author who is trolling to get reviews._ ' I don't really know what caused him/her to think that way but my intention for writing isn't to troll. I also know that crackfics and crack pairings aren't everyone's cup-of-tea. Having been only writing for barely a month, it was my first time to read a negative feedback. Initially, I felt disheartened that I was accused of trolling and bitter enough to retaliate with an even crazier crackfic oneshot that involves Sakura falling for the unlikeliest of characters just to rile up the reviewer a bit more (I have a hunch that the person is a NaruSaku fan hehe)...But then, I looked at the bright side, realizing that whoever that reviewer was, I was able to incite such potent reaction which compelled him/her to leave a review...and I'm all for it. It also motivated me to leave this author's note and to clarify a few things.

To future readers and/or reviewers, **it is not my intention to troll in any way. I regularly check the reviews section for comments about my stories and possibly ways as to how I can improve each chapter. I live for your reactions-whether they be positive or negative. I'm also open to your criticisms and suggestions.** And I think I have mentioned it in a previous author's note in another story but the reason why I prefer crack pairings is because you mostly have to build the relationship yourself and you can customize it to your tastes. It gives your story novelty apart from circumstance which leads you to think that hey perhaps they could be, could have been or, if the tale of their relationship is powerful enough, meant to be.

Those being said, thank you to all reviewers/favoriters/followers! Shoutout to _KabeHinata-lover2_ for throwing your thoughts into the ring. Tbh, I'm also a NejiHina shipper! HAHAHA and I'm not much of a GaaSaku fan either! (Lol this is probably why I was accused of trolling) I just needed to do those to set things in motion for certain events to happen in the story.

 **Warning:** Lime(?) content.

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Sensory Deprivation**

 **...**

Hinata opened her eyes.

Darkness.

She shut them abruptly and pressed her eyelids more firmly to each other before opening them again.

Darkness still.

She could feel the cloth surrounding her eyes and mouth, restricting her movement. She focused her chakra onto the bundles surrounding, stimulating the optic nerves. In spite of the veins protruding from her temples, she saw nothing.

Only darkness, yet again. The last time Hinata had suffered darkness was when she had strained her eyes from her Senbon Sparring. Yet even so this darkness was worse, for she can feel herself gazing further and further into an abyss with neither final depth nor width. It was darkness without end. The realization caused Hinata's heart to pound. Her inhales and exhales escalated into heaves. She was panicking.

Normally the Byakugan, when activated, could pierce through lead walls that are even two-feet thick so she should have had no trouble seeing past such a flimsy fabric over her eyes but it was undeniable that even by channeling and concentrating more chakra into her eyes, she could not discern a thing. Her panic urged her arms to flail and that's when she heard the clinking of the manacles. She shook them again, this time more deliberately, to double-check if she's not hallucinating what she had heard. The noise was present again.

 **MMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!**

Hinata shrieked through her gag. She rattled her chains. There was no response. She decided to scream louder and shake the bindings even harder but to no avail. She tried this a few more times, using different combinations of thrashing and screaming but all in vain. She waited, begged, for a response, a voice telling her to shut up, to at least give her a clue as to where she was or who had captured her. Despite her efforts, merely a cold draft had swept on the surface her skin. There was not a footstep or a whisper.

The Hyuuga whimpered in frustration but she was a kunoichi. She would never give up. She was kidnapped many times in her life, be it during missions or even from her estate. This wasn't her first rodeo. She was definitely less of a stunted helpless scaredy-cat and more calculating about it. However, unlike previous attempts of her kidnapping, she sensed in her gut that this was somewhat different. She's definitely dealing with a formidable opponent, knowledgeable and powerful enough to suppress her best weapon-her eyesight.

The more I information I can gather and put together, the greater the chance of getting myself out of here .

This time, she focused on the sensations over her skin. Her wrists and ankles felt the coldness and heaviness of the iron? steel? wrapped around her. Actually, the entire place was really cold. Was she outside? _No, it's too quiet_. She should have heard the chirping of crickets, hooting of owls, howling of the Inuzuka wolves and the sway of trees. Was it nighttime? How long had she been out? She couldn't tell.

Frustrated, she focused on her sense of smell instead. It smelled like damp, cool, earth but unlike petrichor after rain. Putting two and two together, she realized that she must be underground. _Am I still in Konoha?_ The question set like stone in her gut. There was no indication of time. How long had she been knocked out? The last image she remembered was getting ready for bed, shuddering when her window was open and the moment she closed it, the world became black. And it had been ever since.

Throughout, Hinata fought the urge to cry. The silence, the coldness, the darkness...all of it collided and combined seamlessly to effectively confuse her, to muddle her perception. Sensory deprivation, it was called. Hinata didn't have a sense of time or place. She experimentally moved her lips, grinded her hips and back against the cold stone wall and rattled her chains every once in a while just to feel like she's actually alive and not a ghost. Her arm brushed something soft. It was a sheet of some sort, she hungrily ran her hands over the new object and decided that it's some sort of bed. She clutched the sheet, and fingered through the softness of the linen. She rubbed her face against it before doing her best to drape it over herself. She realized she was trembling - whether it was from the adrenaline, the draft or her burgeoning tears, she didn't know.

Every once in a while a woman's voice would travel the surrounding walls. Hinata would lean too eagerly, craving for some other sound besides her breath, her hearbeat, her stomping and knocking on the walls and floors. Hinata thought she was hallucinating. The eeriness of a deeper voice responds to that woman's voice, but when it reached her ear they were merely tones - words indistinct.

It could have been hours or mere minutes when she had decided upon this but, she hummed the tune and began to sing. It was something her mother had sung to her as a lullaby, which comforted her even if she was as a purple as an eggplant after her Gentle Fist training.

 _"Hush, my darling claim your rest_  
 _My arms_ ,your _blanket; your pillow, my chest._  
 _Save your strength for another day_  
 _For now stay with me._

 _Little one, little one under the sun,_  
 _Precious one, my precious one she's asleep_  
 _My baby looks peaceful hardly frowns she_  
 _Her troubles end where she lay._

 _How far you've gone, proud weary one_  
 _The sun is down you'll blossom come morn_  
 _So hush my darling claim your rest-"_

She was about to sing the last line when she heard footsteps. Startled, her chains clinked, the footsteps seemed to become louder as if coming towards her. Pretty soon she was certain whoever he or she was, he or she was headed towards her. "Who's there?" She could sense something warm and she heard the sound of flame when it springs to life. It was probaby a torch, but she could still not sense the light or the orange hue that would intrude her cold black vision. The footsteps were delivered in a slow and calm pace, the person was taking his or her time. All of these annoyed Hinata, who was thoroughly impatient after being subjected to what had seemed an eternity of utter isolation and confusion.

The familiar scent of ramen invaded her nostrils. Memories brimmed and bubbled up to the surface of her consciousness. She was on the verge of tears. "N-Naruto-kun?!" She wanted so desperately to believe that by some twisted form of events it was her lover, that this had all been a joke, albeit a cruel one. It didn't matter. She would forgive him. But no, deep inside her she knew that there's not a sadistic bone in her lover's body. He would never come up with something like this, much more bear the thought of deceiving her. Upon realizing it was most likely not her beloved, she shrunk down. She heard the door open. It sounded reinforced, a steel door? Where on earth could she have been? Was she in an underground prison?

There was the sound of plastic rustling and a chair was draggeed across her. The deprivation rendered her overly attuned to her surroundings and hyperaware of every minute sensation. The person was in front of her. She lifted up one of her legs, stretching forward to see if her toes could touch any part of the intruder. She tried to swing it to the side. When she sensed cold she stopped. The person was definitely in front of her but had calculated the extent of her reach with precision to avoid contact. This person knew that even without her Byakugan, her whole body remained lethal. What she didn't know was that she was still wearing her nightgown, a spaghetti-strapped silk lavender nightgown with a sweetheart neckline and a chiffon overlay which ran up mid-thigh. Lifting her legs had revealed her panties, which was not only hugging her skin perfectly but was also white and translucent. This moment of exposure did not escape the Uchiha's eyes. His eyes had been locked onto her figure as soon as the light had hit her. Its flames glinted like gold against her creamy skin. Her midnight blue hair danced wildly yet alluringly across her face, guiding him to her features: the regal nose, long bare neck, sharp collarbones and the dip of her shapely breasts. He savored her entire appearance as he spoke " _Tadaima_ , Hinata."

Being deprived of even the faintest of sounds, his voice roared in her ears like thunder. Her knees visibly weakened and she retreated into the wall, pressing herself against it, hoping it would swallow her and send her away from the source. "S-Sa-" Her tongue had gone slack; her throat had dried. She wanted to scream and ask why, to pummel him with questions, or to somehow tear off her chains (which she realized had weakened her somehow) and lunge at him. At the same time she felt like lead, wanting to run away in fear. She knew she could never take on this man. Only Naruto could match his strength. He sealed the Juubi! He could have killed him if he so desired. But then, she also knew that he was not at full strength. The chains...the tracker...the seal...

"I brought food. You must be hungry." The voice interrupted her thoughts. It was not cold or stern. Neither was it formal. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say, or to ask, or what he'd do to her next. Before she could respond she felt a hand on her leg. Again she thrashed, more violently this time, mimicking a drowning person. She was burning with fury, growling and shrieking as she tried to kick Sasuke. She felt one of her feet connect to his stomach. He felt him tumble back and wince. _What? That kick should've sent him flying across the room!_ That was when she realized that she does not possess enough chakra to even...her manacles...this only angered her further.

"Tch," the Uchiha annoyedly breathed. He walked over to the corner of the room and Hinata heard the cranking of a knob. Suddenly her hands are being dragged by the chains over her head while her ankles are going the opposite directions, spreading her legs apart. This triggered a frantic scream from Hinata, who was still effectively gagged. The knobbed stopped turning and she heard footsteps approaching her. The heat of the man crept closer and closer, until she felt rough cloth brush between her legs up to her knees. She shouted again, now unable to stop two tears escaping her eyes. A hand drew her blanket to cover her body more while a finger pinched her gag and loosened them. Her plump yet chapped lips were now free, along with the echoes of her sobbing and hiccuping, the calloused thumb hovering above them only made it worse.

"Hinata," he whispered. She could feel his warm breath reach the dip of her collarbone. She emitted a panicked squeal. She felt him scoot closer, now in between her thighs. She struggle to prevent him from going further so she clamped them onto his hips. She heard his breath hitch and mutter a curse before he yanked her hair. She was about to yelp when something was inserted in her mouth. It tasted like rice. It was sticky and delicious...she hadn't realized how hungry she was. By the texture, she realized it's an onigiri. She bit down until it's split in two, barely chewing before swallowing. She opened her mouth again and received the food eagerly, voraciously. At the second bite she realized it had some form of tomato filling. She opened her mouth again for the third.

On the fifth bite she realized that no food came, only silence. She writhed in dismay for she was still hungry. She was also getting used to the warmth and sturdiness of the thighs under her own that she almost forgot he was an enemy. Her hunger mattered more, and so far he has not attempted anything else but to feed her. The Uchiha took her writhing as a signal and carefully broke the piece of rice on his fingers. Upon inserting it, her tongue had grazed his finger and he flinched back, hitting the bottom of her upper teeth. He thought she'd use the opportunity to bite him, but she only uttered "Water." He reached for the bottle beside him and opened it. Upon reaching it he gently tipped the contents onto her mouth. Instead of waiting she wrapped her lips around it and sucked it out. For some reason, Sasuke was utterly mesmerized at the display. He couldn't move his gaze. Hinata had enough to drink and began pushing the bottle away with her tongue. It almost drowned her before the other had promptly responded by removing it. Perhaps he did want to see her drown.

"I bought ramen, but I'm afraid you'd just thrash about and waste it." This brought her back to reality. She was chained, weakened and helpless. She was techinically straddling the man who kidnapped her. And of all the men who could've done so, she still could not fathom or had refused to believe that it was her lover's closest friend. She also had realized that this was Sasuke's way of phrasing if she'd like to eat ramen. Right now she had to gather her strength and break out as soon as possible. Resisting him head on would do no good to her. She would plan her escape when he disappears. "I...I won't." Sasuke examined her face. Satisfied that she didn't seem to be have been scheming, he tentatively brought the spoon to her mouth. The taste of a still-warm soup broke through the cold. Like the previous one she wanted more and fast, though she exercised more restraint and merely allowed the other to dictate the pace. Then he switched to chopsticks and gave her noodles. Hinata noticed the angle of the wood leaning to the right edge of her lip. He was left-handed. This was the arm he lost in the war...he was able to use it with this level of dexterity now. She briefly wondered what went on with Sasuke's head. Did he have fun watching her? Feeding her? Seeing her like this? Why? It was a question begging for an answer. She couldn't keep it anymore and asked between feeds "Why, Sasuke?"

The man stopped. She could feel the movement of his torso between her thighs. He was pulling away. "NO!" she exclaimed. Using her feet, she pushed up to catch him and trap him onto her again. Her heels digged onto his lower bag and shoved him towards her. "Wait!" He barked as he lost balance and before he could topple onto her, he managed to prop himself using the wall in front of him. Still, it was an awkward position. He was so close to her, underneath there, and his soft pants warmed the side of Hinata's neck and ear. It was an alien feeling to Hinata, a blush manifesting on her cheeks. She had never been this close to Naruto before. She would usually just cling to his arm, or embrace him or run her hands through his hair. At the most they'd exchange a chaste kiss. Both of them were, actually, too shy and inexperienced. Though Ino had long goaded them to take it to the next level Hinata could never bring herself to do so, having so much respect and reserve for Naruto. She decided to only do so when they've married-which had supposedly taken place that morning had she not been captured. But now she found herself bestriding the wrong man.

Sasuke had knelt back to his position. He tested his retreat, but her legs remain locked around him. He sighed. "Answer me, onegai." It was a mixture of insistence and a plea. "I heard you singing a while ago." He ruminated on his words more carefully. Hinata clenched onto him again and he continued "Sing again. Now. I may tell you." Hinata shook her head "Why Sasuke? Just...j-just tell me now!" She squeezed as hard as she could muster. She knew he could feel pain as he gripped on her thighs too hard, probably bruising it in the process. "After I get the song." he snarled through gritted teeth. She relaxed, sucked in a breath and then contracted them again. She heard him yelp and forcefully pull away from her. Her heels just dug onto him and pushed him back to her. When she couldn't pull him, she locked her knees and slid towards him instead. The struggle became rhythmic and Hinata occasionally brushed the rough of his pants. One time its hem glided deep into her thin underwear and dipped between her folds, which caused a startled cry. She realized that her repeated clenching had stimulated her clitoris and the bulging underneath was not helping. Realizing what just happened, she hastily untangled himself from him.

The raven-haired man was unnerved by the sudden demand to push him away. Maybe she was tiring of their struggle. It means that he won't get his song. He might never hear that enchanting, soothing tone of her voice ever again. Realizing this he launched himself back to her, chasing her, until she was sandwiched against the wall. This caused her to whimper. "Sing!" He hissed with such ferocity which caused him to clutch his shoulders with her nails. She squirmed, he merely grabbed her hips and pinned her on him. Something had connected underneath and she let out a moan. Hinata desperately wanted to take it back and stuff it down in the deepest part of her lungs but it was out. The boy was still for a moment, processing the sound that came out of her. He tested her by grinding onto her again, this time slower and deeper. She writhed, and there was that moan, though strangled by her teeth.

Hinata was terrified yet aroused at the same time. He figured out her secret. She was unable to see but she knew that the man had smirked, thinking that two could play her game. He grinded on her again, this time with more upward force. The Hyuuga jerked forward in response. She could feel his erection tenting the fabric. "I won't stop until you sing." He said, his breaths also becoming labored. She could only reply with a broken groan. Everything was muddling her senses. She was torn between climbing up to escape and bearing down to amplify the friction. Was she upside down? Since when was heaven found below her? Again, the question budding on her lips, she threw between belabored pants "W-why? S-Sasuke?" She could not stop shivering from pleasure. She felt herself moisten down there. Instead she was pinned against the wall. She could feel his chest against hers, chiseled and scratching the frills of her bodice, fabric tingling her breasts underneath. The sheet fell from her shoulders and the coldness of the wall greeted her back, startling her mouth open. Sasuke took advantage of this and kissed her. She was unnerved by the feel of his lips against hers. It was chaotic, searching, like fire. She tried to capture his tongue between her teeth and bite on it when he yanked her head up by the hair, making it difficult to do so. Sasuke tasted her, tomatoes and, something else sweet, probably her natural taste. He was not fond of sweet thing but he noted her to be an exception. He bit her lip until it broke skin, tasted her blood and swiped onto her own tongue. She moaned again and caused him to emit another impatient growl and began kissing and sucking parts of her neck.

A hand disappeared from grabbing her hips. She was aware, though trapped in heated grinding and kissing. Suddenly she felt the cold steel upon her, slicing her underwear. She flinched, buck down and strangled a cry. With the meddlesome cloth gone, she could now feel the texture of his own clothed bulge rubbing her tender skin. The steel was discarded somewhere. Before she could wonder where his hand was a finger had already impaled her. "Ah!" She screamed and pressed her forehead to his collarbone. She had clung tighter onto his neck, unused to the invasion. As his digit ventured inward, Sasuke felt the membrane resisting him. Gathering his senses, he staggered back in alarm and let go of her. Her knees weak from the earlier pleasure, she plopped on her rear and yelped at the coldness of the floor hitting her skin. She heard quickly retreating footsteps, a door that was opened and slammed shut. She heard him yell "Karin!"

Karin Uzumaki? That was another clue. But what did it matter? How would it help her escape? Her head was still spinning from what had traspired. One thing led to another. Her body betrayed her. If Naruto knew what they were doing just mere seconds ago he would have been disgusted at her. He would never so much as glance at her again. Tears had streamed her eyes again and she inched herself closer to the sheets crying hoarsely, her lack of voice further reminding her as to how she had spent it.

Karin stood up when she heard him. He was briskly approaching her and before she could speak he ordered "Get me clothes, and underwear this size." He hurled them at her. She was startled. Suigetsu leaned on her shoulder using his arm "Well, well, looks like our Sasuke got some action." The vein in the redhead's forehead bulged and she punched his head, causing him to become splashed like water. "Shut up you idiot!" This was intensified by his death glare. Karin dashed for the exit while Suigetsu threw up his hands in an attempt to pacify him. Juugo shook his head and dragged him away. With the three gone he sank by the couch and stared at the faint fluorescent light overhead. Numerous small insects swarmed around it, though insufficient to disrupt the light.

Sasuke cursed his lack of control. Coming home, his goal was to feed her and leave. When she falls asleep, he'll just carry her to the bed. That was it. That was the goal for the night. But then he just had to hear her sing. It was haunting, nostalgic and ethereal at the same time. He never knew she could sing. She was too damn shy in real life! But then there was a side of her back there. The more assertive, insistent, unguarded self. Throughout their escapade the word 'shy' had never crossed his mind. He became feral at her maneuvers, her touch, the warmth and weight of her settling against him, the dampness of her- "Shit!" He swore to himself again. He was almost gone, too far gone that he would've taken her all the way when he realized that one crucial fact that somehow both seethed and delighted him-the _dobe_ never touched her.

Sasuke had fought the Juubi and didn't even feel dread. For some reason he was confident they'd win but now he felt dread at just the thought of going back to her room to face her again. The thought of her, how flushed and needy she had been, almost surrendering to him but not quite, the scorching desire to bury himself in her knowing that it would be worth it, he had to consciously stop himself from activating his Sharingan. He could not! Not in this place. The headquarters will know.

 **...**

Outside, Karin was grumbling at the nearest open store. It was almost closing time. She had just begged the store owner for a quick rummage of clothes. She twitched at the underwear in her hands. It was obviously sliced open on one side. She hated the thought of Sasuke doing it. The only reason he would be this impatient would be when he was too aroused to care. She hated the thought of that Hyuuga bitch and him having...doing..."Urrrgghhh!" she growled, catching the attention of the remaining customers. "Huh? Karin?" She gasped and turned towards the source. It was Sakura. Damn! Of all the people. "U-uh hello, Sakura!" She stuffed the underwear in her pocket. The blonde peered from behind her friend "Oh...Karin. What are you doing here?" Karin broke a sweat. It was a lingerie store. Ino narrowed her eyes "Ohhhh, you have a man now huh?" she teased which caused the other to fluster "Wh-what are you t-talking about? Teme!" She tucked her under her arm "Oh come on. It'll be just between the three of us. I promise!" Sakura frowned "Ino. You're making her blush."

"So I'm right then? You have a lover!" she exclaimed. Karin shortcircuited there. Sakura placed her hand on her hips "Ino stop asking such personal questions!"

"Asking if I guessed correctly is not a personal question."

"Ino!"

"Alright! It's just the natural Yamanaka interrogator in me." Ino was about to let it go when Sakura asked, looking at her feet "I-Is it for Sasuke-kun?" Ino gawked at her friend. If Karin had sweated any further she would have just shriveled up and died on the spot. Ino grabbed her friend by the shoulders "Sakura!" she slapped her friend who had yelped. "You're married to the Kazekage! Handsome, decent guy that one! Pull yourself together!"

"Ino you make it sound like I'm about to cheat on Gaara when I was just asking!"

"That's why I'm telling you-"

Karin took advantage of it and scurried away. They were still in the heat of argument when from the corner of her eye, Sakura glimpsed at the clothes Karin brought to the counter. She looked at it for a moment. Ino broke her reverie by slinging an arm around her shoulders "Sakura, it's rude to stare. Didn't your mom teach you that?" She noticed her friend frowning, billboard forehead was thinking hard. "Strange," the pink-haired muttered "Karin's breasts are not that big. Why would she buy those?" Ino shrugged "I dunno. Maybe she got the wrong size. A lot of women get their breast sizes wrong, or try to compensate." She poked Sakura's chest. She swatted her hand away "Ino! Look at her lumps! It's like Shizune-san trying to wear Tsunade-sama's clothes!" Ino faced her friend towards herself again. "You know what I see? You're jealous. Karin has something going for her while you're here with a man so busy with village politics he hasn't touched you since you got here." Sakura blushed all over "H-how...stop it!" Satisfied she hit a nerve, she pressed on "Oh come on you're not the only brainy one here. I can smell your frustration from miles away! All you need is a quick rough-and-tumble and you'll get your damn head straight again."

"You say such things with ease." she pouted. Ino giggled "Well that's how I am. And, just so you know, I'm pretty sated." she winked at her. Sakura groaned. Karin had already left the store and equally had slipped her mind.

 **...**

"So, who's with me?"

The moment Shikamaru asked them Kiba had pledged his loyalty without hesitation. "I'm in! This bastard is not getting away with what he did to Hinata and Neji!" Akamaru barked to agree. Shino nodded too. This caused the Nara to rub the back of his head "You guys trust me a lot, huh?" The Inuzuka nodded fervently "Yeah of course! We know we're in good hands. You've never failed a mission! When you're onto him, Sasuke is definitely going down!" Shikamaru glanced at him guiltily before he said "You still remembered our first mission regarding Sasuke right?" And how he messed up badly and almost had them killed. Kiba patted his shoulder "We forgive you Shikamaru. Back then it was the best we could do. But now, it's different. We got through a war! We're definitely stronger now! That damn Uchiha won't know what hit him."

"The circumstances are different. Unlike before, Sasuke is not the one kidnapped. It was now Sasuke who had kidnapped...and I'm finally part of the mission. So you can be rest assured that we will not lose." He adjusted his shades. Shikamaru sweatdropped. Kiba gaped and shouted "What the hell Shino it's been years! Will you ever let that go?!" Shino mumbled something in reply. It wasn't audible but they're pretty sure it meant he would never. "So? What's the first thing we'll do? Do we follow Sasuke now?" Kiba was brimming with zeal. He couldn't wait to crush him between his jaws. "That would be a terrible first move." Shikamaru merely said. Kiba's jaw dropped "Huh? But we have him as suspect! Shouldn't we-"

"I agree." He adjusted his glasses again. Despite his intellect, the thought of having them adjusted to settle on the bridge of his nose had never occured to him "If we trail Sasuke, he'd immediately figure out that we are onto him and he'll be alerted. The best thing to do is to gather as much evidence as we can before we can confront him." Shikamaru crossed his arms and nodded "And when we confront him, we're going to need a significant portion of the ANBU which, thankfully, Sasuke had pissed in more ways that one." He smirked at the memory of their complaints of his arrogance, insubordination and - should they hear about what happened to their comrade Neji - their promise of his slow and torturous death. Shino interrupted his musing "Shikamaru, what do we do?"

The Nara was about to say something when he discovered a loophole in his accusations. This struck a bad feeling in his gut. "Ah, right. Kiba. I need to ask. Back when we're all in the room, why weren't you able to smell Hinata on Sasuke?" This question also puzzled the Inuzuka. He scratched his nose "I...I don't know. You're right that's strange..." He was reluctant to ask "D-do you think Sasuke is not-"

"No," Shikamaru quipped "It has to be him. The fact you couldn't smell her on him just made our jobs a little harder." He gathered a sheet from his pocket and wrote something on it. He turned to the insect-user "I need to find out how much time we have left. Shino, go to the ANBU headquarters, the find this man, and ask him of all the files he has of Sasuke: his work schedule, medical records, missions completed, field reports, performance and psych evaluations. We need to know him inside and out. Right now, my jounin-level clearance would suffice, at least until I get permission from the Rokudaime to access other things you can't. We can't waste time. Just send your bugs to me for messaging." The Aburame nodded and left. He turned to the canine-handler "Next, Kiba. Akamaru." the dog barked again. "I'm also giving you clearance. Give that to the jounin in charge of the investigation so he could also let you in Hinata and Neji's room."

The moment he handed him the clearance he had fully faced him and put his hands on his shoulders "Kiba, you would only talk to no one else but the jounin and Hyuuga Hiashi. More importantly, you'll say nothing of what we suspect and whom. We cannot, absolutely cannot, allow Hiashi to confront the Uchiha head on! He might unwittingly jeopardize the sake of his daughter and nephew. Do you understand?" Kiba nodded with a passion. He had faith in his comrade. "Will do, Shikamaru. I want Hinata and Neji back in one piece too." The Nara smirked "I believe you. I'm counting on you too. Be careful."

 **...**

[ _Hokage's office_ ]

"What's the status on the village guards? Was it true they were incapacitated by jyuuken?" Kakashi, leaned on the table, hands crossed over one another. The man in the porcelain mask replied "Hai, Kakashi-sama. Shizune-san and Hiashi-dono confirmed their injuries." Despite the mask concealing his face, the Rokudaime was keen at reading body language "You have something else to report?" The man nodded "Hai. My squad members have also confirmed at least three civilians having seen them on the run. Their descriptions were a close match of Hinata-san and Neji...san." The door behind them creaked open "Any chance you can lend me their testimonies?" Shikamaru asked. Kakashi gave the ANBU other orders and dismissed him. He bowed and walked out of the office. "It's unlike you to not knock." He muttered as the Nara approached him with hands in his pockets. "Why would you want the civilian testimonies? Are you taking the case?" Shikamaru smirked. The Hokage was also indeed sharp "Yes. Actually I'm here for two reasons. One is to be in charge of the investigation behind their disappearance and second is to ask for Kage-level clearance to access all the information you have on Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sasuke Uchiha?" The sound a familiar voice startled Shikamaru. Kakashi idly gazed at the other non-knocker, though this one he's more used to, Naruto. He still seemed out of it. They can only look at him with pity. "Why would you want to access his information? Did he do something again?" Kakashi exchanged glances at the Nara, who stuttered a reply "U-Uh...it's not a big deal Naruto. It's just normal maintenance that's all. We need to monitor his chakra and-"

"Shikamaru I'm not a fool. I know what you're thinking." He interrupted. Shikamaru sweated. Of all the people who could have overheard him it had to be Naruto. Just when he needed to operate under maximum discretion, the Uzumaki will be more infuriated than Hyuuga-san and nobody in the shinobi world could stop him from levelling mountains with his best friend...or decimating them for accusing Sasuke when he had yet to find a tangible proof. "I know that you think Sasuke would take advantage of the commotion and attempt to escape." Shikamaru masquerated his sigh of relief as one of defeat. Naruto seemed to believe it and continued, his voice now rising "Haven't Sasuke proved enough to you?! Those two years he had been at his best behavior-" he noticed their flinches and shook his head "Oh come on you know him that's the best he could do but still! I knew he had the power to escape."

"Naruto. The devices used to restrain Sasuke are sophisticated. Even Obito, once attached and implanted those, would have a hard time escaping." The Rokudaime reasoned, yet the village hero was adamant "You don't know Sasuke like I do! Once he puts his mind to his goal, his desire, no force in the world can stop him!" Hearing this directly from Naruto had only incited further dread within them. It made the thought of Sasuke wreaking havoc more vivid in their minds. It made the thought of several lives on the line blisteringly real. "You're right, Naruto. But none of us know what Sasuke's true goal is. Thus, the need to regularly check up on him." Shikamaru answered. Naruto's mouth hung half-open. He wanted to say something but he pursed his lips. He clenched his fists and released them as he exhaled "Just...give him a chance to prove himself. The village owes him that for killing his clan. Even if it had to be done! Please don't make him...give him reason to hate this village more. I...I don't...would never ever want to...have to choose between Sasuke and this village." He turned around and left. When they were certain he was out of earshot, Kakashi sighed in concern "Sorry about that Shikamaru. I wanted him to come here to make sure he's holding up fine. I kind of made it worse, didn't I?" The Nara was still mulling over his words. "Naruto has a point. We can't have Sasuke harboring hatred or resentment for Konoha but we can't let down out guard either."

Kakashi straightened his back "So I take it that you suspect Sasuke is behind the kidnapping." Shikamaru smiled in admiration. He was definitely a genius like him. "Yes." The Hokage raised his eyebrow, indicating he'd want to know why. The other began to explain "Mostly because of the letter Hinata left. It was her handwriting. There's no sign of fear or agitation in her penmanship. I believe that she was under a genjutsu." While talking to Kakashi, he manipulated his shadow to form the necessary characters onto the Hokage's desk.

 _Two that night. Accomplice._

Kakashi eyed him. The Nara was very careful. He wouldn't even trust the ANBU guards standing outside the office to overhear them. "You do realize that even a normal sharingan is not powerful to cast such genjutsu. He'd need the Mangekyo but the restraints you put on Sasuke made it impossible for him to activate it." He pretended to grab a file and sign a report when he wrote back and let him glimpse.

 _Any ideas who?_

Shikamaru continued to move his fingers as he spoke "I can't really think of anyone else in the village who cast such a complicated jutsu. He must have done it somehow."

 _Monitor Team Taka. There's_

Kakashi nodded and scribbled while he replied "You do realize that everything you've presented so far is a hunch. I know you don't trust Sasuke but you shouldn't let your feelings impede the investigation." Shikamaru pretended to grunt in annoyance.

 _something else. Kiba can't_

Kakashi raised his eyebrow again, to elaborate on both his secret message and verbal speculation. "I can't officially sanction you to oversee this investigation without concrete evidence."

 _smell Hinata on Sasuke._

Even this information sent the Hokage into deep thought. The Inuzuka knows every molecule of his teammate's scent and if Sasuke had kidnapped her then he would have definitely not been able to conceal it from Kiba. He wrote:

 _You sure Sasuke was there that night?_

Shikamaru nodded, seemingly acknowledging Kakashi's statement but was actually confirming what was written. He sighed "However, Naruto was right. Sasuke might take advantage of the commotion and leave. We can't have that on our hands. I'll at least give you the clearance you want but you cannot have my sanction on this mission. Not without proof." His eyes travelled back to his desk, startling at the words.

 _My guess: White Zetsu_

The Hokage need not write it down as he could decipher it from his reaction alone. The White Zetsu were supposed to be wiped out during the Fourth War. Sasuke was rumored to have killed the original. Kakashi, on his part, had realized that the reason Kiba could not smell Hinata on Sasuke at the room was because the one standing next to Naruto was a fake. He recounted how badly the Zetsu had infiltrated the Shinobi corps undetected by even the best sensors. However, he couldn't wrap around the fact that White Zetsu or a clone of him, still exists after two years. "Do you have anything else to say?" Again he had begun scribbling:

 _Is it possible for White Zetsu to mimic Sasuke's position in your tracker?_

"Nothing," Shikamaru replied.

 _Don't know. Will investigate._

"I see. Do you have any particular members in mind?" Kakashi looked up at him. Shikamaru pretended to yawn and said "It would just be boring paperwork so no, I haven't thought about whom yet." It indicated he would include five in the investigation. His other hand rested on his side, still manipulating shadows into discernible threads.

 _Shino, Kiba, Choji, Ino_ ,

Kakashi realized the shadow can only stretch enough to form at most four words at a time. It was immediately reworked.

 _and Sakura._

Sakura was one of the first, if not the first, to discover White Zetsu through sheer deduction alone. A definitely wise choice. "Alright. If you have someone in mind, let me know." This time, he had signed the clearance for him and handed the final shred of their hidden note.

 _Be careful._

Shikamaru nodded in respect and affirmation "Hokage-sama." Kakashi waved and said "You're dismissed."

 **...**

Shikamaru, Shino and Kiba gathered in the training grounds at sunset. The Nara explained to them what transpired in the Hokage's office. "Unfortunately, Naruto overheard me asking permission to look into Sasuke's tracker." Kiba gasped "Does that mean he knows?! Then Sasuke-"

"Relax Kiba. As far as he knows, I'm doing it because I'm paranoid Sasuke will use the distraction to escape. It has nothing to do with Hinata or Neji."

The Inuzuka sighed in relief. However, the Nara spoke again "However, I'm in hot water. Naruto may or may not tell his friend about what I'm doing. Assuming the worst, Sasuke's already onto me." Kiba gulped. Akamaru whimpered. "Don't worry. I went at great lengths to make sure he'll think I'm investigating him alone. I've also devised a strategy to keep us separated yet informed at the same time."

"You, Shino, Choji, Ino, and Sakura. You'll form a five-man squad. Shino will be your leader. He will be the only one in contact with me and Ino will relay my orders to you via telepathy. It is important that you stick to the instructions I give you. Shino, anything in his records?"

"Ah," he adjusted his shades and stood up from the tree where he leaned "I have only skimmed his community service records as priority. He had significantly increased input of his hours about six months prior." Shikamaru furrowed his eyebrows in anger, realizing the bastard had been planning it for this long. "How much time does he have left of the 10,000 hours?" The pause on the Aburame's part indicated bad news. "Assuming he goes about his hours at the same rate...four days. Including the necessary paperwork, he'd be permitted to leave, should he opt to do so and we are certain he will, in less than a week."

The Nara could not stifle his alarm. Seven days...or less. He had accounted that the Hyuugas had to be saved as soon as possible...but his own plan, in order to have the minimum amount of risks to his comrades and collateral damage to the village, had to be carried out in a span of ten days! That is not accounting for the hiccups they might encounter along the way. He gritted this teeth, loathing the fact that they had to take shortcuts or stall him - or do both- which will multiply the risks. He pinched his forehead. "What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Kiba had asked too innocently. He could not fathom the severity of pressure they're under. He shook his head "Nothing. I just need to add a few minor tweaks to the strategy." Majorly revise, he meant. He had to tell them about the tracker. "Since we're pressed for time, I'll let you know of the contraptions restraining Sasuke, so you can best counter him." The two leaned closer and listened with all eagerness.

"My first priority in mind, when coming up with a restraint for him, was to make sure Sasuke can always be tracked and that he cannot remove it without taking his own life. So, although unethical, I've convinced Kakashi to let the med team implant the tracker on his heart. I've also made sure that he was unconscious during the operation and that those who performed the operation on him were relocated outside the village." Shino was amazed at Shikamaru's ability to think far ahead. He was absolutely not taking chances. He did not underestimate Sasuke's capabilities.

"The tracker on does not only determine his location. It also acts as a fibrillator to stop his heart when one of the three conditions happened. First, if he tried to remove the tracker from his heart. Second, if he tried to get out the village farther than 500 meters in any direction. It was originally set to go off once he steps outside the village gate, but his skill as a village guard is impeccable so it had been adjusted to that. And third, if he activated the Mangekyo Sharingan. With the nature of his duties, and other abilities at his disposal to suffice for combat, he has no reason to be able to freely wield such formidable doujutsu." Kiba could struggled to keep up with the information but he had understood them.

"However, the tracker also has a weakness. It can only determine his location in a two-dimensional level. Thus, the tracker watches I'll give you to monitor his location will point you his place. For example, a building. However, It was not yet sophisticated enough to tell you which floor. Furthermore, Konoha has a lot of old passages. I'm telling you this so you'd be more careful in pursuing him. I'm really not taking any chances. I don't want to lose to this guy. I don't want to lose your life over him." The two gulped and nodded, adrenaline coursing in their veins. They could not imagine being able to sleep for the next few days.

"Another advantage we have over him is the chakra suppressing bracelets. It also has three functions. First, to regulate his usage of chakra. Second, to flag certain chakra signatures and input in our database. I've specified it to flag at least three types: the normal dot on the tracker is green, but when he uses a fire technique, the dot will turn orange and send you a time stamp in orange text. If he uses a lightning technique, the dot and text will be red. For sharingan, black."

"Again, there's a weakness. Common techniques such as log-switches have too common chakra signatures to be flagged. So it's just registered as a blinking green dot when in use. In other words, you'll have no indication what kind of technique Sasuke will be using. You'll only know that he's using one. Do not underestimate his perception." He gazed hard at the two "In order to fully exploit the manacles' advantage, you have to work in at least two-man subunits. So the division will be one two-man and one three-man subunits. Worst case, if I join the fray, we'll be grouped into three two-man subunits."

"Finally, we have his forehead seal. I...Konoha...borrowed the mechanics of the forehead seal with the Hyuuga. That was probably why he captured Hinata and Neji. However, the seal is not the same as the Caged Bird. It can only be activated once and it will destroy his optic nerves at a cellular level. Once it happens, he will live, but he will never be able to use Sharingan again, even if he has another transplant."

"However, we found out that there is also a weakness. The forehead seal only responds to the chakra signature of a normal sharingan. The Mangekyo chakra is different and too complex to respond to the seal. We only knew some time after the sealing. So it means that the seal useless if Sasuke was able to activate his Mangekyo."

"It's okay, right? You said with the tracker, Sasuke can't activate his Mangekyo without his heart stopping." Kiba attempted to assure him and himself.

"It's true...but Sasuke had defied death several times. I won't be surprised, though I would be batshit frightened if somehow, despite all precautions and countermeasures we've put in place, he was still able to activate the Mangekyo." Even Shino broke a sweat at the thought. Seeing Sasuke occasionally pick up litter around the village almost made him forget how formidable he was. Shikamaru cursing emphasized that his comrade has much on his mind.

The Aburame glanced at Shikamaru. He thought he was hallucinating, but he saw a glint of excitement on the Nara's eyes. With the truce achieved after the war and the Akatsuki wiped out, there wasn't really much going on in the village to stimulate a mind like the Nara's. Though it would be rude to admit for him to say and for Shino to point out, he knew that his friend also saw this as a real-life equivalent of shogi. And Shikamaru never loses that game. Even if he sometimes wanted to. But now, losing was the last thing on Shikamaru's mind. Even he had to silently admit what Kiba had outright proclaimed. _Sasuke won't know what hit him. He'd spend every second of his life, in blood prison, wondering how and where he went wrong._

 ** _..._**

Guilt, fear and doubt crept up like tendril around Sasuke's heart. He knew he had acted haphazardly, taking her away at such a high-profile celebration where most, if not all, of the Kage would be in attendance. He had risked his neck, casting a complicated tandem jutsu with his accomplice in order to make Hinata write the letter. With her in tow, they had sprinted across the alleys of Konoha with fear. Thanks to his shitty community service which occured mostly around the village, he knew the map like the back of his hand and had carefully observed the patterns of the ANBU, jounin and citizens night patrols. The Uchiha knew that he had little time to waste. His zetsu clone had scrutinized all the people in that room. Only that usuratonkatchi and the one Neji knocked up were convinced. He had to be more careful from now on, measuring his next visits to her after this night-enacting his initiative with surgical precision. A minute error on his part would render all his risks and sacrifices moot. He would commence as usual, while at the same time would observe and figure out his enemy's move.

After waging an internal conflict with himself, he entered Hinata's room. She was tranquilized, apparently feigning sleep when Karin removed her manacles to wash her up and dress her. She managed to hit the center of her stomach and cause her to collapse. To do that without her Byakugan is impressive. She had to have had an impressive muscle memory and exceptional intuitive depth perception. Perhaps the Hyuuga were really trained blind in preparation, he speculated. Suigetsu had to trapped her inside his water-body form and force her to weaken from holding her breath, which took longer than expected, before Juugo had injected on her one of the three emergency tranquilizers at their disposal. He calculated that he has approximately four days of hours to finish and three more days of paperwork. With only two remaining tranquilizers, they have to figure out how to subdue her in a more effective manner. Oh well, he'd ask a friend tomorrow. He gazed at the sleeping figure. He brushed the long wisps of hair from her face, revealing the smooth beautiful face underneath. She looked peaceful.

The raven-haired man was unable to resist and he cupped her cheek. The warmth caused Hinata to stir, but the medication hasn't worn off yet and she groggily spoke "Sasuke..." The Uchiha leaned in closer, intent on hearing her further. "What...what did you...do...my eyes?" To that, Sasuke turned his gaze away before bringing it back towards her. He smoothed her cheek with his palm "Don't worry about them, Hinata. I promise you'll see again. You'll see in a better light." As usual, Sasuke was being cryptic and it frustrated her. She thought it's better than utter non-response so she'll think it over. She was also surprised Sasuke did not chastise her for attempting to escape. Perhaps he had foreseen it and judging by her failure, thoroughly planned her detainment as well.

Hinata felt the man get up and leave. The door was shut again. She turned to her side, dragged the blanket over her shoulders and slept. At the corner of her room was a jar, containing two detached pale-white orbs dancing in yellowish liquid.

* * *

 **A/N:** Wew. That was long! Like I said, I'm planning this to be 7-11 chapters in length so a lot will happen per update. The lullaby is an original composition of mine by the way. Also tried to keep Sasuke from being OP, spamming mangekyo-jutsu everytime.

From the looks of it, Shikamaru seems to be one step ahead? Haha we'll see. Any thoughts on his accomplice? Where's Neji? Don't worry I have not forgotten about him! You'll be able to know soon enough! Once again, I'd like to hear your thoughts! I won't really mind if they're positive or negative. See you next update!

 **Up next...** _Chapter Three: Memories of an Uchiha_


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